Ornamenting watch-cases



(No Model.)

0. WILHEL M. ORNAMENTING WATCH GASES.

No. 472,490. Patented-Apr. 5, 1892.

I n N n UNITED STATES PATENT Ornicn.

CHARLES WILI-IELM, OF NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO FREDERIO EOAUBERT,

OF BROOKLYN, NEW' YORK.

ORNAMENTING WATCH-CASES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 472,490, dated April 5, 1892.

Application filed June 15, 1891. Serial No. 396,305. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES WILHELM, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Ornamenting Watch-Cases, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention is especially intended for applying an ornamental design to the exterior surface of watch-case lids or backs. Heretofore such ornaments have sometimes been formed by an engraved die, the article being pressed into the die by adrop-hammer or other powerfulpressure. In this manner the entire ornament is acted upon at once and usually fails to fill the entire engraved or recessed portions of the die. Hence the ornaments are not sharp and full and do not have a lustrous appearance.

My present invention is made to overcome these difficulties by pressing the metal progressively into the engraved die by a conical roll; and it consists in the mechanism and mode of operation hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a section of the die that receives the watch-case lid or back and of the pressure-roll and its stock. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the die as adapted to a lid with a hinge-piece.

The die A is of an internal shape, corresponding to the external shape of the Watchcase lid, back, or similar article, and its surface is to be engraved or otherwise ornamented for producing the desired ornamental surface for such lid or back, and this die A is let into a die-block B, which die-block is upon the mandrel of a lathe, so that it may be rotated in a manner similar to that described in the patent of F. Ecaubert, No. 253,355, dated February 7 1882, and there is a movable clamping-ring 0, adapted to screw upon the dieblock B, having a central opening, and the inner edge of this clamping-ring is adapted to set over and hold firmly the watch-case lid or back by pressing upon the edges thereof. Such watch-case lid or back is represented at D. After removing the ring O the lid or back 1) is inserted into the die andthe ringO screwed on with the required force for holding the lid by the pressure upon its edges.

The pressure-roll E is of .a conical form,

an arbor F, mounted in a stock G, that rests upon a slide H, that can receive a motion toward or from the mandrel of the-lathe by a screw I, and the slide-rest H is preferably upon the rest K or bed that can be moved by the screw L or other suitable mechanism in a plane at right angles to the mandrel of the lathe, such slide-rests and their adjusting devices being common in lathes of various kinds, and the stock G is connected to the slide-rest H by a pivot or swivel-bed N, so that such stock G, the arbor F, and pressureroll E can be swung in an arc of a circle upon the pivot or swivel N, and in adjusting the slide-rest by the screws I and L it is generally advantageous for the center of the pivot or swivel N to be nearly beneath the axis of the lathe-mandrel and vertically below the center of the lid or back D, and there is a screw P or other suitable means by which the block Q can be moved back and forth in the stock G.

It is now to be understood that after the lid, back, or simlar article has been properly clamped into the die A, as aforesaid, the pressure-rollE is to be brought up by the respective adjusting devices, so that it bears against the center of the lid or back with the force necessary to cause a transfer of the engraved pattern of the die to the exterior surface of the metal of the back or lid, and then the roll E is moved outwardly or inwardly and swung so that its convex surface presses progressively upon the exterior of the lid or back, commencing from the center and working outwardly, or the reverse, to whatever extent is desired aud advantageous for transferring to the lid or back the engraved designs of the die A, and, if desired, the interior surface of the lid or back near the periphery of the same can be finished by the introduction of an interior roller, such as shown in Patent No. 382,517, granted to F. Ecaubert May 8, 1888.

It will be observed that in consequence of the roll E being conical its axis is at an inclination to the axis of the mandrel and die, and the convexity of the conical roll insures the proper action on the metal in pressing it into the ornamentation of the die.

The present improvements allow for the ornamenting of watch-case backs or lids with rapidity and great perfection, and the risk of breaking the die is reduced to a minimum, because the pressure is applied on only a small portion of the surface at one time. Usually it is the most convenient to revolve the lid and die upon a central axis; but the same relative movements could be obtained if the roll and its stock were revolved around the same axis and the die and article remained stationary, the one being the equivalent of the other.

It is often advantageous to solder upon the lid or back the joints or the hinge-pieces before ornamenting the back, in order that the parts maybe polished to remove any discoloration from the soldering before the back is ornamented. In cases where this is done I apply the washer 0, having a recess in its face for the reception of the joint of the hinge, so that this washer will be applied after the blank lid or back has been inserted into the die A, and the projecting portion of the hinge is received into this recess and the clampingring C is now to be secured to place for holding the washer and the watch-ease lid in position, while the latter is being ornamented by the action of the pressure-roll, as aforesaid. A steady pin or pins may be used, as repre sented, to keep the washer in its proper position in relation to the lid or back and the hinge-pieces thereof.

The rollers E may be of any desired shape, and the axis of the roller may pass entirely through the same, as in Fig. l, or partially through, as illustrated in Fig.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, with the die A and its die-block, of a clamping-ring for holding the edge of the watch-case lid or similar article while the same is within the die, a pressureroll of eonoidal configuration, having a convex operative surface, and an arbor and stock for supporting the same at an inclination to the axis of the mandrel and die, and means for pressing the roller against the watclrcase back or lid, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the die, die-block receiving the die, and a clamping-ring for clamping a watch-case lid or similar article into the die, of a pressure roll having a rounding conical configuration, an armorstock and adjusting mechanism and a pivotal connection for the stock, anda slide-rest for the pivotal connection, substantially as set forth.

The combination, with the die having an internal ornamented surface corresponding to the surface of the watch-ease or similar article to be ornamented, of a washer recessed for the reception of the hinge-piece, and a clamping-ring for securing the parts in position, substantially as set forth.

l. The method herein specified of ornamentiug watch-case lids and similar articles, consisting in ll'lillOdllOillg the lid-blank into the die having an ornamented interior surface to correspond to the ornament to be produced, clamping the lid or similar article at its edges, rotating such die and lid and pressing against the interior of such lid, a conical roll having a rounded surface and revolving upon an axis at an inclination to the axis of rotation of the lid, and moving such roll bodily toward or from the center of the lid, substantially as set forth.

5. The method herein specified of ornamenting watch-case lids and similar articles, consisting in introducing the lid-blank into a die having an ornamented interior surface corresponding to the ornaments to be produced, clamping the lid or similar article at its edges, rotating such lid and die and pressing against the interior of such lid,a conical roller having a rounded surface and revolving upon an axis at an inclination to the axis of rotation of the lid, and rocking such roll by changing the inclination of the axis of retation to the axis of rotation of the die, substantially as set forth.

6. The method herein specified of ornamenting watch-case lids or similar articles, consisting in introducing the lid-blank intoa die ornamented on its interior surface to correspond to the ornaments to be produced, clamping the lid orsimilar article at its edges, pressing against the interior of such lid, a conical roll having a rounded surface and revolvingupon an axis at an inclination to the axis of the lid, rockingsuchrollby changing the inclination of the axis of rotation to the axis of the die, and moving such roller bodily toward or from the center of the lid and retating the roll and the lid, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 0th day of June, 1891.

, CHAS. \VI'LIIELM.

\Vitncsses:

GEO. 'l. PINCKNEY,

WILLIAM G. lilo'r'r. 

